Puffing Billy, Emerald Lake & Knox City Mall

Day 6: September 5th, Monday

Today was our last full-day stay in Melbourne. We initially did not have anything planned for today but it turned out to be an activity-packed day. The night before, Mei yiyi suggested we go for the Puffing Billy train ride to Emerald Lake and have a picnic there. We thought that was a great idea and agreed.

This morning, right after breakfast at home, we took a 60-minute drive to Belgrave, where the Puffing Billy train station was situated. 

At the entrance of Puffing Billy

This is Puffing Billy, Australia's favourite steam-engine train... a train that REALLY goes chugga-chugga choo choo!

Boarding the train from Belgrave to Emerald Lake... Mei yiyi did not take the train with us. She drove to Emerald Lake and met up with us there later

Everyone sits like this on the Puffing Billy! However, when the train moved, I chickened out... yikes!

Since everyone really sat like this (also encouraged by the conductor), daddy and mummy decided to try it too... it was FUN! :D

I finally got the courage after watching how daddy and mummy enjoyed it... and decided to give it a try but not without daddy's hand near me for that added security. The train moved rather slowly so it was ok.

The train travelling across the countryside

Daddy and mummy also had a short chat with the conductor, who later plopped his hat on my head

At the Emerald Lake station... the choo choo train ride took about 45 minutes. We were "reunited'" with Mei yiyi and Alyssa here.

Doing the "stop, look and listen" action

The picturesque Emerald Lake that greeted us

Picnic time! Mei yiyi prepared some sandwiches and fruits from home. She also bought some muffins, doughnuts and spinach quiche from a town nearby

While we were enjoying our picnic (lunch), guess who came to say hello? Ducks! Alyssa and I had fun feeding them with bread

These two love birds (crimson rosella) were seen kissing and pecking each other on the tree right above our picnic table too!

And then one flew over to politely "ask for food" from us... so we gave it a grape

After lunch... more energy to chase ducks!

Walking to the playground with Alyssa

Can't get enough of playgrounds!

More pics of the beautiful Emerald Lake park

Mei yiyi also drove us to the Dandenong Ranges National Park which was nearby. Unfortunately, both Alyssa and I had fallen asleep in the car so daddy and mummy just got down for a quick walk...

Standing among these tall trees, daddy and mummy felt like elves ;)

More trees!

They also heard a loud and unsual sound and when they looked up, they spotted a kookaburra!

On the way home, we dropped by Knox City Mall... our holiday is not complete without a mall trip haha!

While daddy and I spent some time wandering on our own, mummy went to the departmental stores and supermarket for more shopping!

Kiddy rides! I'm still a baby at heart although I've already outgrown these rides physically. See, I wasn't able to squeeze my long legs  into the ride anymore!

Again, I had problem cramming myself into this teeny-weeny shopping cart buggy! 

Fruits galore!

Later in the evening, we had our very last dinner at The Pancake Parlour. It was Koo-kong and Grandaunt Carol's treat again. We enjoyed their company very much and couldn't thank them enough for being such wonderful hosts. 

"Reaching New Heights"

When mummy last measured my height last month, I stood at 115cm. Yesterday, when daddy measured my height again, I was 117cm! To make sure his measurement was accurate, he marked the wall and re-measured it with a measuring tape. Now, it's either mummy made a mistake or I just grew 2cm within a month!

Why the sudden hype about my height? Well, it all started when daddy and mummy saw me switching on the lights at home WITHOUT standing on a chair! (Mummy is not sure about other homes but the switches in our home are fixed at 160cm (5ft 2in) from the ground)

I am finally tall enough to reach all the switches in the house :)

This is yet another milestone achieved, a sure sign that I am growing well physically. For this, I have daddy and mummy's tall genes (1.88m and 1.75m respectively) to thank for ^-^

Physical development at 5 years 1 month: 117cm - able to reach switches by tiptoe-ing 

Sunderland Bay, Wildlife Park and Family Dinner 2

Day 5: September 4th, Sunday

It's Father's Day today. The Aussies celebrate FD on the first Sunday of September so daddy got to celebrate FD two times this year :) We enjoyed a home-cooked breakfast of bacon, scrambled eggs, baked beans, pancakes and fruits.

Happy Father's Day! The two proud dads and their kids

After breakfast, we spent the morning at the Sunderland Bay beach nearby (within walking distance from our house). 

Walking to the rocky beach

It was low tide at this very rocky beach. During high-ride, this whole place would be underwater. The view there was spectacular (although it looked rather dirty and unpleasant in these pics)

Daddy and mummy taking photos of each other... we (the girls) were standing on the seabed of live seaweeds, kelp and other tiny sea creatures

A rock pool... there were many of such pools around the rocky beach

Here's what we saw in the rock pools... the water was so clear that we had a very good view of the beautiful corals, mollusks, fishes etc. in it... it was like going for a scuba-dive without getting wet! 

A sea anemone (the red thing)

Daddy spotted lots and lots of these black morsels. Guess what are they?

Mussels?

Alyssa and I had fun playing and scooping sand and water. The water was icy cold. Brrr!

Next, we went to the Philip Island Wildlife Park. Upon entrance, we were each given a bag of animal feed hence a feeding spree we went. It rained on and off (just light drizzle) the whole time we were there so we just put on our hoods.

Watched from afar while daddy fed the cygnets. Earlier, I saw how mummy's hand got pecked (ouch!!!) by the black swan so I dared not go near any of them.

Daddy feeding the emu. Again, mummy and I were intimidated by its size (it was taller than me!) so we dared not go near it hehe!

Feeding a wallaby... aah! This one was very cute and gentle... I liked :)

Noticed this wallaby's huge belly? We suspected there was something in its pouch...

Just moments later... surprise! A little joey popped out to say hello to us!   

*Sayang* Gently stroking a kangaroo while daddy was feeding it

I loved feeding this kangaroo the most. It was very gentle and "polite". I loved the ticklish feeling when it licked and nibbled the pellets off my hand.

A cassowary 

Echidnas

We finally had a closer view of a koala... and it wasn't sleeping but busy eating instead hehe

Other animals that we saw in the wildlife park... dingoes, wombats (I fed and touched this too), blue-winged Kookaburra and pelicans

Our lunch back at the house... Australian specialties of Meat Pie, Vegetable Cornish... 

... Lamington and Vanilla Slice for dessert

Soon after lunch, it was time to say goodbye to Philip Island and return home. On the way back, we managed to drop by a Chocolate Factory and tasted some of their choc samples :)

After reaching home and taking my bath (Bath facts: I only took my bath twice throughout our 5-full day stay there hehe! The weather was too cold for daily baths and mummy was afraid that I might catch a cold), we took a rest and later went to Ching yiyi's (Mei yiyi's sister) house for another round of family dinner.

Dining with cousins... at a mini dining table just for us kids :)

Food glorious food!

Having a ball of a time in Kai Yin's (Ching yiyi's daughter) playroom

Saoirse the tea-lady was busy pushing a cart of porcelain tea set